Beware the hacker next door

After many years in the IT industry I’ve learned that hackers don't always fit the stereotype. In fact, the most common type of hacker is sitting in the cubicle next to you, right now. According to Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute CERT Program study, up to 90% of incidents in business relating to the loss of assets results from staff that have privileged access to IT systems and applications.

This is someone who gets to work early, takes his or her turn cleaning out the office fridge, tells funny stories at lunch and, at some point, makes a very dumb move.  It often starts when this hacker-next-door sees a file directory or workstation that’s just too juicy to pass by, like one named “Salary Comparison.� It’s simply too tempting NOT to peek inside. 

How do these attackers get access to critical systems? All too easily.

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